my studio hardware scheme: any suggestions?

[MattC]

As you all may or may not know or care, the time has finaly come for me to start building my studio. The car's paid off, insurance has been lowered, and I have the means, albeit limited, to get going. I've got the start for mics, cables, and such, and inetnd to upgrade as I go. Here's my hardware plan: following the general plan of a studio I worked in this summer, I intend to use ADATs as the front of the studio. I will buy one used off ebay, and use this by itself for a few months while my computer is being built. Once the computer is done, I intend to use the first ADAT, then a second, as the interface, perhaps first recording to ADAT and then dumping the tracks digitally into Sonar 2.0XL. Following the second ADAT will probably be a control surface, though for the time being I'll be content to mix with a mouse, or I can take the files to the aforementioned studio for mixing/mastering and probably the use of the drum room. So, the synopsis is this: 1. a single ADAT (no computer yet), then 2. a single ADAT as a computer interface, then 3. a second ADAT, then 4. a control surface I'm attracted to the slightly out-of-date ADAT format for three main reasons: first, the price- as a college student, funds are slightly shorter than would be ideal; second, the flexibility- I would be able to use the ADAT by itself before I had the computer built. That way, I can record and do mixes on an analog board. Third, I can easily take the ADAT setup to venues and do live recording (without risking the computer) and mix at home. (In my situation, there's a lot of money to be made here, and I wouldn't necessarially be able to tap that market if I used pci A/D cards). What erudite advice and critiquing can youse offer?

[Dylan]

Don't do ADAT! How much money do you really think you will be saving here? For about $500 you can build a kick-ass PC, throw in $400 for something like a Delta 1010 for the audio interface (way better sounding converters than the ADAT) and you have a very good sounding 8 in/out 24-bit DAW for under a grand. Plus, with any tape device you are eventually going to have to replace heads and I can't tell you how many used digital tape decks I've purchaed that were sent DAO or that needed very expensive work ($200-300)! I cringe to think of the days when tape was an active part of my life. I haven't had a hard drive die on me ever, but I can't tell you how many tapes I've had munched by various digital decks :mad: .

[Audiobotica]

I just built a PC for Logic Audio today. Server tower case, AMD 2400 2G processor, 1.5G RAM, 200G HD, Yamaha F1 CDRW... ripping machine. Only $1370 to build. Don't waste your bucks on ADAT. Put yourself together a ripping fast machine that will record everything you want and let you edit it non-linearly. I would NEVER go back to using tape and give up non-linear editing. Plus using plug-ins for FX will save you a ton of money over buying outboard gear. Just say NO to tape!

[Gtoledo3]

And if you really want to go for a standalone recorder, you would be much better off getting the new Alesis HD24 hard disc recorder. New, you're going to be paying around $900 bucks for a 20 bit ADAT that has 8 tracks. The 24track/24bit HD24 will run you around $1800/1900. I believe there are comparable Mackie models as well (SDR/MDR). Really, you don't want to buy a used ADAT- at least I wouldn't. The heads will probably need replacing in the near future, the alignment between your ADATS will probably not be consistent, and replacement parts are going to be a bitch to get. And on top of all of that, the ADAT tapes have been getting shittier.. probably for a myriad of reasons- the main one being that the manufacturers know that people that want fidelity have gone to other recording mediums, so they figure they can cheap out on your tapes. I could be wrong, but I figure from your post that you want to spend most of your time making music, and want a minimal hassle. Well man, getting the ADATs is going to leave you exactly where you don't want to be.

[Alndln]

Although building a PC in rackmount case is probably the way to go,the Mackie HDR's have going for blowout prices of late.At those prices...........

[ernest828]

You must be either totally out of the loop or foolish... Don`t want to sound insulting but ADATs are a dead end. I don`t care how cheap you can get ADATs they will eventually need repair and you will totally miss the point with digital. I recommend you get you head out of the sand and get yourself a computer (preferably a MAC), a DAW like DP3 & live happily everafter. What is your budget? Get the computer and then spend your $$$ on very good mics and mic pres first. Ernest With all that said... I`m selling my 2 ADAT XTs for $1000.

[Ethan Winer]

Matt, They sure are ganging up on you! I'm also going to suggest avoiding ADATs, but with a different point: What purpose would be served to record to an ADAT first and then transfer to Sonar? As long as you have Sonar, just record there in the first place and save a huge amount of extra work! I do small projects with nothing by Sonar and a little Mackie 1202. But a good friend does entire bands and large projects with nothing but Sonar and a (larger) mixer. No control surfaces, no ADATs, no nothing but mikes, preamps, a 16-input sound card, and Sonar. That's all you need! --Ethan

[Gtoledo3]

[quote]Originally posted by ernest828@aol.com: [b] With all that said... I`m selling my 2 ADAT XTs for $1000.[/b][/quote]Well, not to screw you up ernest, but they're selling new on clearance at musician's friend for $900!

[Gtoledo3]

[quote]Originally posted by ernest828@aol.com: [b] With all that said... I`m selling my 2 ADAT XTs for $1000.[/b][/quote]Well, not to screw you up ernest, but they're selling new on clearance at musician's friend for $900! Or are you selling both for 1000?

[MattC]

hey, no need for the bitterness here, folks, although I do appreciate the bulk of these responses. I just put that sceme together and then seriously questioned my thinking on the matter. I've been doing a good deal of research on the topic and it seems that there are better options. Keep in mind here that I spent the majority of my hands-on recording experience with a 1/2" RTR, so shopping for converters and such is still somewhat new to me. Let me redirect responses to another thread: "How do you all get analog audio into your PC?"